Go Fish (a summer fantasy)Nancy Bo Flood Four Mile Jump in duck under Mask on Blow bubbles up your snorkel Flutter kick webbed feet Gaze at turtles, sharks — look, there — a whale! Swim! A bathtub can be As big As the deep blue sea
Works in Progress
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Short-Term Rental
By Olivia EmeryCarbondale A few years ago, a robin built a nest on our back porch. She was as scattered and ditsy as I felt at the time — starting with a few sticks, changing her mind, tossing them on the ground, starting again. In the end she chose a spot two columns away from […]
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New town, new man By Tom MercerCarbondale-ish Alven Smith was a reclusive, 50-year-old bachelor. Most people who knew Alven regarded him as “painfully shy,” or worse yet “possibly anti-social.” And, over time, Alven had become aware of his unfortunate reputation, but did not know what he could do about it. Then, one day, Alven’s landlord […]
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Forever inked, forever young
At the “Visceral Alchemy: Fine Art + Tattoo” exhibit at Carbondale Arts, I find a temporary tattoo of a human heart, rendered more anatomically faithful than the two humps and sharp point of an emoji. But the aorta, pulmonary artery and venae cavae of this tiny tattoo heart are plants and vines. Planets float inside […]
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Remembering Mike Bouchet August 23, 1964 – June 1, 2025 Jen BouchetCarbondale Mike believed in connection and had a rare gift for it. “Mike’s magic, pass it on” began as a simple phrase during his celebration of life, inspired by his extraordinary ability to connect with people across differences and make others feel seen, welcomedand […]
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TRUTHBy Nancy Bo FloodMemorial Day 2025 This Memorial Day is especially meaningful as I reflect on the many people in my family, in our country, through many generations, who have given years of their lives to protect democracy and freedom for us. How can their contributions be minimized, even erased from history? I am deeply […]
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Springtime and dandelions Young people from across the Valley wrote poetry for the inaugural Dandelion Day Youth Poetry Contest. Zizi Levine had one of the winning poems, “dwarf star.” And we threw in a couple of extras from fourth graders Henrietta and Chase from Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork. dwarf star By Zizi Levine […]
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Poem for my momBy Megan Flood For Nancy Bo Flood, from her daughter, Megan, following a retreat in Chacala by the sea. I don’t want to try with poetryI just want to smell the guava ripening on our windowsill,Taste the silk and crunch of the flan in the stickyPlastic cup And celebrate the pelican As […]
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Works in Progress – April 30, 2026
Excerpt #4By Golda Wolfe All rights reserved by the author. The simplest explanation for why Baron von Lingenhoven felt tired every morning was that he did not sleep well. His ex-partner Buzz White was so enthralled by Vail’s skiing that he had forgotten to mention the traffic grinding day and night along the interstate that […]